The Future of Insurance – Jeff Radke, Co-Founder & CEO, Accelerant (Post-IPO)

Episode Info
Jeff Radke is CEO and Co-Founder of Accelerant, a technology-fueled insurance platform that empowers MGUs to more effectively and confidently serve small and medium enterprises. He has spent his career working across all areas of the insurance value chain, from underwriting to reinsurance in global markets. Prior to Accelerant, Jeff spent a decade at Argo Group International Holdings, but he became frustrated with thelegacy system’s antiquated technology and emphasis on maintaining their position in the value chain over doing right by the customer. This inspired him to co-found Accelerant to enable data-driven innovation and collaboration that puts customers first. Accelerant rebuilds the way that underwriters share and exchange risk to improve outcomes for everyone, with a focus on the SMBs that power our global economy and their niche insurance needs.

Jeff was previously a guest on the show, and you can catch that episode here.

Episode Overview:

Accelerant's IPO Journey:

• Successful Public Offering: Accelerant completed its Initial Public Offering (IPO) in July 2025.

• Timing Was Right: Radke believes the IPO occurred at the opportune moment, as the business model had become clearly defined and demonstrable to investors. He suggests it couldn't have happened much sooner.

• Market Conditions: The market timing for the IPO was favorable.

• Long-Term Vision: The IPO supports a long-term strategy, with the company prioritizing a 5-10-15 year horizon rather than short-term quarterly results. This contrasts with some other tech IPOs that focus on immediate performance.

• Investor Communication: Transparency with investors about expectations is crucial, and the company runs the business for the benefit of its customers and platform participants.

• Learning Experience: The post-IPO period, including initial market reactions and earnings announcements, served as a valuable, albeit challenging, reminder to focus on running the business exceptionally well and managing investor expectations.

Accelerant's Mission & Problem Solved:

• Addresses a gap in the market for specialized underwriting talent moving to MGAs without adequate support.

• Recognizes the shift of risk retention to larger insurance companies, leaving a need for capacity.

The Accelerant Platform:

• Aims to be the "rails" for specialty insurance.

• Focuses on:

  • Smooth, transparent data flow.

  • Efficiently connecting MGAs to risk capital.

  • Leveraging technology and AI for data analytics and portfolio management.

Growth & Key Initiatives:

• Serves 265 MGA members and partners with 17 insurance companies and 90+ capital providers.

• Mission: An Accelerant-owned entity providing a safety net and support for underwriters transitioning to MGAs.

• Risk Exchange: Facilitates capital matching for underwriters, with a focus on long-term network effects and data growth.

The Evolving MGA Landscape:

• MGAs are growing significantly faster than the broader industry.

• Technology is enabling specialization and a "handoff" model across the value chain.

• This disaggregation is a natural progression, mirroring trends in other industries.

• Specialized coverage is increasingly in demand due to the complexity of modern businesses.

Addressing Industry Inefficiencies:

• Identifies high expenses in areas like claims, underwriting, and actuarial functions as a key challenge.

• Advocates for mutualizing these expenses through centralized, technology-driven platforms like the Risk Exchange.

• Contrasts this with the traditional model where many companies perform the same functions sub-optimally.

Differentiating Accelerant:

• Focuses on long-term viability and underwriting expertise, not just hype.

• Prioritizes serving members and capital partners with a service-minded approach.

• Offers a more efficient and effective alternative to traditional and some other insurtech models.

This episode is brought to you by The Future of Insurance book series (future-of-insurance.com) from Bryan Falchuk.

Follow the podcast at future-of-insurance.com/podcast for more details and other episodes.

Music courtesy of Hyperbeat Music, available to stream or download on Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music and more.